Creating textured models for SL - Lightwave 3D

[Gladeraven]

Hello all,

I use Lightwave 3D to create models which can be uploaded to SL after exporting to COLLADA fomat (.dae). SL recognises this, and the model detail is very good, however I cannot figure out a way to bake a texture that SL will recognise. (There is an option to include textures when uploading a model).

Is there a way to bake a texture directly, using Lightwave 3D, which SL will recognise when the object is exported as a .dae file?

Thanks in advance. :)

[Chosen Few]

In order to upload a texture along with a model, the texture image must be in a format that SL can use (TGA, BMP, PNG, or JPG), and it must be applied to the color channel of a material on the model, so that the COLLADA file can reference it.  As long as the correct reference is there, the uploader will be able to grab the texture file.

Procedural textures won't work, since SL doesn't use those kinds of procedures.  Only rasterized textures, in one of the applicable formats, will do.  If you're using procedurals, you'll need to bake them out to rasters before you can upload them.  Lightwave can certainly do that, but I'm afraid I can't tell you the step-by-steps, since I don't happen to be a lightwave user.

Our resident authority on Lightwave is Robin Sojourner.  (She actually wrote the manual for Lightwave 8.) She frequents the forums, from time to time.  You can check out her website at robinwood.com.   There's a lot of good tutorial info on there.  I'm nto sure if she's put up anything specific to baking in Lightwave, but it's worth a look.

You can also try Googling "lightwave baking tutorial", and see what pops up. 

[Gladeraven]

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Chosen Few wrote:

In order to upload a texture along with a model, the texture image must be in a format that SL can use (TGA, BMP, PNG, or JPG), and it must be applied to the color channel of a material on the model, so that the COLLADA file can reference it.  As long as the correct reference is there, the uploader will be able to grab the texture file.

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Ah, thank you. That's so easy! I know it was a pretty silly question but I just coudn't find SL's requirements for this in plain words anywhere. Thanks for the link as well.